Anyone read this?

Regarding People Magazine's "Tribute" to Karen Carpenter.
Ask yourself this:
How many other news or journalistic outlets RECOGNIZED Karen Carpenter's birthday AT ALL yesterday ?
I scoured the net yesterday looking. Not much to find.
So--take IT when, and where, you can get it !
It may be a "lazy" attempt, but
at least it was SOMETHING. Anything is better than NOTHING.
This is 2020.....we are lucky to have ANYTHING at this point in time.
Yes, I apologize for CAPS, but, gee, give some credit where it is due.


By the way, PEOPLE was one of the FEW outlets to give KAREN their COVER story in February 1983.
Give them a break, they did a LOT to promote THE CARPENTERS through the years.
I agree. And when I mentioned earlier about Karen deserving better, I meant it in the way that hardly anyone acknowledged it. At least People magazine cared enough to mention it.
 
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There was a tribute on Drum Talk Tv yesterday. Maybe on Facebook? I sent the link to Harry. It’s clips of Karen drumming through the years......... maybe he can upload it to here when time permits.
 
Harry, with all due respect, your standards are obviously stricter than mine.

People and Billboard are not quite "identical" media outlets. People is , well, more about 'celebrity.'
People..." is an American weekly magazine of celebrity and human-interest stories..."
Billboard is, well, more about the 'music.'
Billboard... "publishes pieces involving news, video, opinion, reviews, events, and style..."
So, we can either complain about the perceived "laziness,"
or be grateful that after all these years Karen Carpenter was even mentioned.

I am a "glass half-full" person. I want to see the positive, no matter how small the positive.
It will never be what we fans want it to be--
The Carpenters (yes, I still insist on the "the") will never get all of the recognition they deserve, I have grown accustomed to that.
Also, compare February 1983, between People and Billboard, only one chose Karen for their cover story, the other did not.

So, everyone complains, then when it does not meet their standards, they complain again.
Again, I will take what comes along, as we are never going to get Karen all of the respect she deserves.
(ditto, same with Richard).
 
That 2/21/83 issue of ‘People’ with the awful picture of Karen was the biggest selling issue of 1983 and one of the top 10 issues for the decade. I’m sure that played a role in their republishing the article on Karen’s birthday.
 
Wasn't the People cover taken at the A&M records 1981 japan telethon ? By the way, hardly a bad photo--if you
compare that to what other outlets were showing (the ones that highlighted emaciation).
There again, this is a relative observation: Look at the entire People magazine article, the inner-photos were fantastic photos
of Karen. So, it was not by any means all bad. Take the ENTIRE article, not just the cover from February 1983.
What other major publication in February 1983 devoted that much attention to Karen Carpenter ?
Yes, the anorexia played into the public's buying the magazine--but, what else was out there at that time ?
Glass is still half-FULL.
 
Yes, by ALL means, let's not try to forget THAT!

Yikes! Just saying big numbers and now big clicks PAY and that undoubtedly played a role. I’m glad it was re-used. It draws more attention to Karen and the article was very well-detailed and not a slam on her by any means.
 
Wasn't the People cover taken at the A&M records 1981 japan telethon ? By the way, hardly a bad photo--if you
compare that to what other outlets were showing (the ones that highlighted emaciation).
There again, this is a relative observation: Look at the entire People magazine article, the inner-photos were fantastic photos
of Karen. So, it was not by any means all bad. Take the ENTIRE article, not just the cover from February 1983.
What other major publication in February 1983 devoted that much attention to Karen Carpenter ?
Yes, the anorexia played into the public's buying the magazine--but, what else was out there at that time ?
Glass is still half-FULL.

I agree there are much worse pics they could have chosen. But I remember family and friends being pretty shocked by that cover pic. It was indeed taken from the Japanese telethon and Karen was making a funny face (watch the video) when that was shot. It’s when she was talking to the crowd.

Even more odd that they’d choose that particular image.
 
People magazine chose a photo that would sell them some magazines and it worked.
They could have used this but it probably wouldn't have sold as many copies.
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Interestingly enough, the later November 1983 cover story (with Richard's interview)
used a better (though smaller) cover photo of Karen from the same 1981 telethon.
 
The only way one could place the C's superior music (e.g., Superstar, CTY, WOJB, For All we Know, Good-bye to Love, A Song for You) behind H&O is if one shares the biases of the Rolling Stone magazine crowd.
Well, I wouldn't cite Rolling Stone as being any more in favor of Daryl Hall and John Oates than I would them being in favor of the Carpenters. If you've read any of the interviews Daryl and John have given over the years, in terms of their relationship with that magazine, they don't consider it a pleasant one ... and they have been quite vocal about that. Which is why they were shocked to be inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. I think they had long assumed they'd burnt any bridges leading in that direction.

Also, I have a feeling that, just as the general public remembers the Carpenters for their hits, Hall and Oates are troubled by the same phenomenon. The reality is that their recording career started long before their hits, and continues to this day (though their last studio album together was Home for Christmas in 2006). Instead of their more popular albums (and the cheesy '80d videos that went along with many of them), I would cite the lesser-known, but brilliant, gems like Abandoned Luncheonette (1973) and Along the Red Ledge (1978). Both Daryl and John have recorded some superb solo albums, as well, but of course they have not sold nearly as well as their albums together.

I love the Carpenters. I also love much (though not all) of what Hall and Oates have done. For me, both duos have had many remarkable high points in their respective careers. The critics have tended to love neither ... but for me, it's the music. The advantage Daryl and John have is that both are still alive, still touring together and recording solo projects (with a hint of possibly recording together in the future). Karen's death meant that she and Richard were denied that ongoing collaboration. It doesn't diminish the quality of what they did do together, but Hall and Oates have had creative experiences, both together and apart, that continue to this day.
 
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There were 2 covers of People for Feb but only one was used....I remember seeing the other copy in a book of notable events for 1983.
 
People is , well, more about 'celebrity.'
People..." is an American weekly magazine of celebrity and human-interest stories..."
Billboard is, well, more about the 'music.'
Billboard... "publishes pieces involving news, video, opinion, reviews, events, and style..."

You can't really compare People and Billboard, because they are different types of publications. People is an entertainment magazine, while Billboard is a trade publication. That's why you don't find Billboard on too many newsstands (except maybe big ones). People caters to a general audience, while the vast majority of Billboard readers are in some area of the music business, so maybe that's why they chose to do a new article on Karen vs. just republishing an old one. Also, it's possible Paul Grein offered them the article...and maybe even came up with the idea of writing it beforehand. There may not be any writers at People who were around when Carpenters were popular.
 
HI
Which People magazine article was the better seller/.Feb 1983 issue or Nov 1983 issue?

It was the biggest selling issue of ‘83 and in the top 10 for the entire decade. It’s mentioned in a commemorative book on the magazine’s history I’ve had forever.
 
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